And It's About Time There Was Some Support For Cushing's!
Im 39 years old but I feel like I'm living in an 80 year old body. I've known/felt that there is something not "right" about my health for a very long time (several years). I've been to numerous GP doctors, Internal Medicine doctors, OB-GYN's, Headache Specialists, Chiropractors, a Nutritionist, Sleep Specialist and even an Acupuncturist. One of the doctors suggested nothing was wrong with me and recommended I see a phsychiatrist (which I did - he made me feel like I was crazy and that I was really just imagining my symptoms).
Within the past 2-3 years I have had my gallbladder removed due to gall stones. Later that fall I had a hysterectomy because of all the problems I was having with my periods.
The following year I had to have a colonoscopy and was told I have IBS and Diverticulitus. I take a medication occasionally to help with the pain and spasms that occur.
I also suffer from migraine headaches and have had to start wearing glasses because of severe "eye strain" and just recently they increased the amount of magnification in my glasses to double what it was last year. My eye doctor also suggested that I wear glasses all of the time (not just for reading and working). Even with glasses, my vision is still blurry.
I have High Blood pressure and take a medication for that.
I have trouble sleeping - going to sleep and staying asleep - I also have sleep apnea and wear a cpap when sleeping. Most days I feel so fatigued I don't even want to get out of bed. I do take medication to help me sleep, I also take a medicine for daytime tiredness (without this med I know I wouldn't be able to function).
Other symptoms I have are the abdominal weight, stretch marks, moon face, buffalo hump, body and muscle aches/pains, thin skin that easily bruises and takes a long time to heal.
This past fall I asked my doctor if I could have blood work done to see if things were ok. This is where my road to Cushings Information started. Blood work came back with very low potassium. We changed my BP meds and I started taking potassium supplements. Over the past few months I continue to get tested and I'm now up to 3x/day taking potassium and it is still not consistantly within normal limits.
Low Potassium connected the link to Cushings for me. I was/am having heart palpitations, chest pain, irritablity and depression. My GP actually referred me to an endo and I have an appointment on Feb 28.
I have completed the 24 hour free cortisol urine test. The results came back high (176). I think the normal range is 50-100.
I also made a trip to the emergency room for abdominal pain(on Super Bowl Sunday) and was diagnosed with a kidney infection. In the process of determining the cause of my pain, the ER Doc orded an abdominal CT scan. I requested and received copies of all of the test results, doctor's notes and CT tech's transcription. I've read the Radiologist's notes and there are things on the report that scare me. There are spots in my left lung that are suspicious and I also had some cysts on my kidneys. It also mentions my liver.
I'm beginning to feel I have TOO MUCH information an I'm very nervous about going in to see the Endo for the first time. I don't want to come on too strong but I don't want my symptoms to be ignored. So for now I'll just wait to hear what the endo says - easier said than done :)
Wow! I don't think I've ever combined all of that information in one place. Reading back through it, I'm hesitant to post but there have been so many posts that I've read that make me feal that I'm not alone - I'm not crazy - and something is going on in my body!!
